How to Read Drum Tabs

Last Updated: December 2, 2021

A Drum Tablature, or Tab, is a method of denoting the required components for a drummer to play a song. Like regular music, it contains instructions to the musician which will allow them to mimic the drumming for a particular song.
Drum Tabs are available on the internet, commonly created by drummers for drummers.
Reading a drum tab is simple, when you know what to do, but can be confusing to the novice. Each tab describes the beat and the measures are well divided. The tab will give you a good overview of the requirements in a piece.
All skill levels of drummers use tabs to help them learn new songs, from beginners to professionals.

Steps

1
Know which drums to use. At the beginning of each line, or the staff, the parts of the drumset used within that line are denoted by an abbreviation. Other drums or cymbals may be used throughout the song, but will not be indicated on the line if they are not required for this part.^{[1]
X
Research source} Common abbreviations for instruments include:^{[2]
X
Research source}
- BD: Bass Drum / Kick
- SD: Snare
- HH: Hi-hat
- HT/T1/T - High Tom / Rack 1
- LT/T2/t - Low Tom / Rack 2
- FT - Floor
- RC - Ride Cymbal
- CC - Crash Cymbal
2
An example of a staff using Kick, Snare & Hat only would be:
- ```
HH |--
```
- ```
SD |--
```
- ```
BD |--
```
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3
Read the beat. In addition to the instruments to be played, the beat is sometimes added above the staff. This is often divided into 8th or 16th counts, depending on the complexity of the tab. Variations for 3/4 or other beats are also possible. The beat is not repeated for subsequent lines, but the hyphens or rests are.
4
Below is one bar in 16th notation. As there are only hyphens, this would be a do nothing bar.
```
   |1e&a2e&a3e&a4e&a
```
```
HH |----------------
```
```
SD |----------------
```
```
BD |----------------
```
5
Know how to hit the drums As there are various methods to hit a drum, the notation has various letters to denote this. Examples are:
- o: Strike (Normal hit)
- O: Accent (Hit harder)
- g: Ghost (Quieter hit)
- f: Flam
- d: Double Stroke
6
Know how to hit the cymbals As with the drums, the cymbals and hi-hats can be hit in many different ways.^{[3]
X
Research source} Examples are:
- x: Strike (Cymbal or Hi-hat)
- X: Hit Hard Cymbal or Loose Hi-hat
- o: Hit Open Hi-hat
- #: Choke (hit the cymbal then grab it)
7
Use Basic Examples first. Below is a basic drumbeat, using 16th notes, with a hi-hat every 1/2 beat, kick drums on first & third and snare on the 2nd & 4th.
```
   |1e&a2e&a3e&a4e&a
```
```
HH |x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-|
```
```
SD |----o-------o---|
```
```
BD |o-------o-------|
```
Accents on the first hi-hat & second snare hit can be added as below:
```
   |1e&a2e&a3e&a4e&a
```
```
HH |x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-|
```
```
SD |----o-------o---|
```
```
BD |o-------o-------|
```

8

Move up in complexity. As you become familiar with the notation, the tabs become more complex, as shown below

   |1e&a2e&a3e&a4e&a|1e&a2e&a3e&a4e&a|1e&a2e&a3e&a4e&a|1e&a2e&a3e&a4e&a|

HH |o---o---o---o---|o---o---o---o---|----------------|----------------|

SD |----------------|----------------|o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-|oooooooooooooooo|

CC |x---------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|

HH |--x-x-x-x-x-x-x-|x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-|x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-|x-x-x-x-x-x-----|

SD |----o-------o---|----o--o----o---|----o-------o---|----o---o-o-oooo|

BD |o-------o-------|o-------o-o-----|o-------o-o-----|o---------------|

CC |----------------|x-----------x---|x-----------x---|x---------------|

HH |x---x---x-------|--x-x-x-x-x---x-|--x-x-x-x-x---x-|--x-x-x-x-x-x-x-|

SD |----o-------o-oo|----o-------o---|----o-------o---|----o-------o---|

BD |o-------o--o--o-|o-------o-o-----|o-------o-o-----|o-------o-o-----|

Community Q&A

Question

Do the high hat cymbols stay open or closed when at rest?

Community Answer

In drum tabs, the high-hat should stay closed unless it is written in the music.
Question

What do the letters CC, LT and MT mean on drums?

Community Answer

Crash Cymbol, Left tom (usually higher) and Medium or Middle, usually the middle sounded tom.
Question

If there's a China Cymbal on a beat, how do I write it? CC can mean both China and Crash cymbal.

OMGTV Vlogs

Community Answer

For China Cymbal, you can write cC. For Crash Cymbal, you write CC. That way you can differentiate between them.
Question

How can I play without a kit?

FreeAdvice.Com

Community Answer

Technically you can't, but you can get the Aerodrums which are drumsticks that don't require a kit. They are quite expensive though.
Question

I want to be a skilled drummer––how can I be a skilled drummer?

The Science Geek 2020

Community Answer

To develop a new skill, you obviously have to learn the basics first. So, don't rush to be skilled! Take it nice and slowly. Join a drum class and start with the basics. Then advance ahead slowly. You will see that you will become a skilled drummer soon!
Question

What is the difference between low floor tom, which is abbreviated LFT and floor tom, abbreviated FT?

MidLifeISIS

Community Answer

When it comes to more intricate and larger drum sets, distinguishing LFT and FT is the same as Tom Tom versus Floor Tom. Some drum sets will have 3 Tom toms, so the lowest one is represented by Low Floor Tom, whereas the independent Tom is the floor Tom.
Question

What is the difference between a loose Hi-hat and an open Hi-hat?

MidLifeISIS

Community Answer

It boils down to the tone coming from the Hi-Hat. A lot of jazz standards would notate loose hi hat as a muddier, yet closed sound. Fundamentally, open Hi-Hat means you don’t press down the Hi-Hat pedal whatsoever, while Loose Hi-Hat means you close it, but not completely so there’s a rattle texture to the sound.
Question

What does TB stand for in a drum tab?

MidLifeISIS

Community Answer

Depending on the piece, TB may represent cues for another instrument in the band. When you have jazz standards and big band music, there will be cues for other instruments entering or accenting, thus TB possibly representing trombone.